What aircraft would you buy?

[jayemm]

OK, so I'm just dreaming here, but I'd like to know what plane you'd buy if you came into some money. Not millions, but say £300 - 400k. I stress, this hasn't happened to me, but I've been wondering what plane I'd get if I suddenly had a very reasonable amount of money at my disposal.

I'd want a single-engine, 6-seater (and I mean one that can take 6 adults with full fuel), with modern avionics, and a decent cruise speed ie. over 130knots. Rectractable gear possibly, but not essential.

Which plane would you recommend that fits these requirements?

[Evo]

I've looked in the back of Pilot and wondered the same thing :)

Does it have to be SEP? For the practical side of things I'd go for a light twin for the 6 adults and the booze, and i'd pick up a second-hand Cap 10b for the weekend - or a new 10c if i'd hit it big on the lottery. That's my dream aeroplane. Go on FNG, give us a go... :ok: :)

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Yak 50, with a strip and a hangar. Oh, and 5 bus passes for the would-be passengers ;~))

SSD

[flower]

I have been instructed that upon me winning the lottery I have to buy a Piper Warrior 3.

Im only the passenger mind you ;) :p ;)

[NinjaBill]

I think I'd go for a Jet Provost, and a S%^& load of fuel, and sod the other 4 people!!

depending on quite how much money I had, I might then go for something even faster, like a Hunter or some other jet, and keep cash spare to hire something with loads of seats, or buy the other pax some easyjet tickets

NB

[vanhigher]

I think any PA32 is hard to beat- preferably a retractable ; 6 seats, good cruise speed, 5+hours endurance- nearly as fast as a Seneca but a lot cheaper to operate

mind you - if you had a really BIG win - a Navajo would be the thing.......

:D

[High Wing Drifter]

A brand new Yak 9!

http://www.shadetreeusa.com/yak9.htm

:D :uhoh: :}

[MLS-12D]

Maybe an L-39 (http://www.l39.com/For%20Sale.htm); or a Beaver on floats (http://www.ventureaviation.com/aircraft/DeHavillandDHC2-CXXXX-Pics.html); or a turboprop Bonanza (http://www.tradewind-bonanza.com/bonanza/).

Obviously I'm all over the map on this one! :confused: :confused:

[englishal]

An L39 would be fun....BUT I think I'd put my sensible head on and get a DA42 Twin Star....Nice new modern twin powered by Jet-A diesel engines, glass cockpit, range of around 1400nm, cruise at 200 kts at 20,000', and the best bit, less than 15 quids worth of fuel an hour. Not to mention that its built of composite materials, the cockpit should survive a 25G impact [dunno about the occupants though:D].....and only about Euro 300,000

EA:D

[Chilli Monster]

Used Cessna 340 at about £150K and then bank the rest of the cash as operating money :)

I wish!

[FNG]

Check your PMs, Evo

[Dude~]

I wouldn't bother buying out right. I'd look for a quarter or smaller share in some kick ass piece of kit. The only reason for this would be to share maintenance costs.

Maybee a nice powerful twin piston for short hops, maybee a Partenavia - great payload, visibility for all on board and short/unsurfaced strip ability and then maybe a share in a small cessna jet. Maybe a Mustang or Citation!

Oh and I'd get a Druine Turbulent D31 for those unbeatable calm wind summer evnings....
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

oops, think I fell asleep there, better on with 'looking like I'm working'.

About time someone started a thread, 'how much money do you soct your employer by surfing Pprune?!'

- soct??? I meant cost!!!!!!

D

[Genghis the Engineer]

A nice empty hangar next to a friendly airfield - say Popham or OS. A lot of materials, a stack of shiny new tools, and a new drawing board / CAD system (probably both, nothing like a pencil in your hand for working through initial design ideas)...

G

[IO540-C4D5D]

jayemm

There are very few (if any) 6-seater planes that can take 6 adults AND full fuel. Planes aren't normally designed that way; you are supposed to trade fuel for load.

At the £250k region the obvious 4-seat choices are the SR22 or the TB20. Both are very good long range tourers. Go to N Weald this weekend and see both there. Nothing comes close to what these can do in terms of going places with 2-3 passengers & luggage, at the initial and operating cost.

The DA40 is about £150k I think (avgas engine) and while it's economy is a big plus it does a lot lower wing loading so more affected by turbulence than the above; also less load capability & range. Composites are the future of GA IMHO.

Above £250k there isn't much until you get to about £400k and then you are looking at e.g. a Bonanza A36 - but the operating costs of something like that (turbo engine etc) are WAY higher than the £250k planes. I've hardly looked at these however.

Above that you are looking at turboprops e.g. TBM700 and that is what you really want for a booze cruise to European destinations for 6 fat adults :O Price? About £1.5M and operating costs to go with it!!!

[Grob Driver]

If I had that much money to spend, there’s a few aircraft that I’d like!

First, a Yak-18T

Second a an AN-2

And finally, a share in something like a Jet Provost, or maybe even a Hunter!

Oh, and I’d LOVE a chipmunk too!

[QDMQDMQDM]

Cessna Caravan. Bit more than £400K though.

QDM

[big.al]

How about something like....

http://www.aerotraderonline.com/caddetail.html?/ad-cache/2/4/8/47389248.htm for around £305k at today's exchange rate.

I'll bet the running costs would be scary though....

[sennadog]

I'm with EnglishAl on this one. DA-42 Twinstar for me but I'd buy mine in Sterling at circa £275K with a full IR set up/glass cockpit - not that I'd know what to do with avionics this good but it'd certainly look pretty to look at when I'm flying VFR!

With the balance I'd get myself a nice property in South Africa with a decent strip and bimble round in the nice weather.

:ok:

[bcfc]

* A Cirrus SR22 when I'm in touring mode
* Something turnupsidedownable when I'm in aero-mode (not too experienced at these but the Fuji I've flown is big fun)
* My 172 when I'm in sight-seeing mode
* FA18/A when I'm in jet-jock mode
* Something blonde when I'm in ... [Stay on topic bcfc :E )

Oh well, just another daydreaming Friday afternoon.

[Arclite01]

Definately the Beaver (Piston or Turbo). Something with some guts to haul the wife and kids around in. And shed loads of performance.

Been really keen on one since reading 'Think Like a Bird' by Alex Kimbell (now there's a good book).

Anybody keen on a syndicate (I wish !!) Shares probably 40K apiece :cool:

[FlyingForFun]

Does it have to be just one aircraft? I would buy several, each for a different purpose, and each can be bought for much less than £300k (certainly a good used example could be, anyway).

For pure fun flying, I would have a Rollason Turbulent - haven't had the pleasure of flying one yet, but I'd imagine that it would rival or beat most other aircraft for a fun-but-relaxing way to burn holes in the sky.

Problem with the Turb is it's a single-seater, and a large part of the fun of flying is sharing the experience. So I'd also have a Super Cub for burning holes in the sky with a passenger.

Then I'd want something aerobatic. Nothing serious - I have to admit that I found my one flight in a Pitts Special too much like hard work to be able to keep it up and enjoy it. The Great Lakes that I did most of my aerobatic flying in is much closer to what I'm looking for - inverted tanks, perfectly capable of doing all but the most serious of aerobatic manoevres, but it does everything in a wonderful, lazy fashion.

And finally - at least until I think of something else - I'd want a touring aircraft. Something that can manage a bit of speed, a bit of altitude, has a decent range and is fully kitted out for airways (yes I will get an IR one day!) Maybe something like a Turbo Arrow.

I think I can probably just about manage all of them inside your budget.

FFF
--------------

[Whipping Boy's SATCO]

OK, it's only me, the dog and my wife but my choices would be:

Avait Husky A1B - for playing around on short strips

DA 20 TDi - Sensible cruising

SR22 - Decadent cruising

Chipmunk - Fun

Vans RV9 (homebuild) - something to while away the evenings

[Tiger_ Moth]

I'd buy a full size replica of an Se5a and have a large field prepared with a hangar to house the plane. It wouldn't have a runway, it'd just be a massive field so that you could always land into wind. I'd also throw in a Turbulent. And of course I'd have to have a Tiger Moth too so I could take passengers and fly it in formation with the Se5a and have pretend dogfights.

Does anyone know of any Se5a replicas (full size, not currie wots) and of their price, I'm guessing about £35,000 maybe? Or Sopwith Camels, or any other interesting WW1 types?

It would also be interesting to know how much a field of suitable size to be made into a landing ground might cost.

[muffin]

A Robinson R44 Raven II that I could park in the back garden.

[QDMQDMQDM]

Buy a Broussard -- it's pretty damn close to a Beaver. There's a Broussard group her at Eggesford. You'll find a decent one at £30-40K.

QDM

[flyingfemme]

Four seats, pressurised, IFR, turbine power. Cute too.